Tuesday, March 10, 2009

I know Ballet is a much disciplined art but should teachers be really that strict to their students even if they are only 3 years old? We decided to enroll Bela to the Baby Ballet Class because we have seen her interest in Ballet and I believe that we as parents should help our kids discover and nurture whatever interests and talents they have. We brought her to the ballet studio of Halili Cruz just to see if she really likes it and when we saw how much she is eager to go inside the room and join the class we didn’t hesitate to sign her up for the class. But our goal is to develop in her a love for ballet. I don’t care if she will really participate or not, I don’t care if she will not have a perfect form, I don’t care if she will learn to tip toe or do the split. All I am after for is she is having fun.

I am just bothered because I noticed that the teachers are really strict with their students and doesn’t even show a bit of affection. Sometimes kse if Bela doesn’t know how to do the task, she will leave her line and approach her teacher and ask her teacher to teach her (and she is used to doing this because that is how they do it in Toddlers), but the teacher will just say “Bela, go back to your line”, or “Bela you’re not following teacher, I will not give you stickers.” During her second day of class, she even sat down with me after her teacher told her that she is not listening and kept on whispering “Mommy, I am not following teacher” and she was really disappointed. Good thing I was able to convince her to go back to her line.

And then last Sunday, the teacher even made “sutsot” to Bela like Bela did something really bad and Bela was just being playful while waiting for her turn to be called by teacher.

Bela is still enjoying it even if the teachers are strict so I don’t want to pull her out of the class. Ako lang talaga ang nag re-react ng ganito. And I am happy also that at least Bela will be disciplined a little because she is so used to being treated in a nice way (kse super lambing talaga her teachers at TU) and as I observed naman, she is learning to follow her teachers like last Sunday, she really tried hard to stay in line talaga. I am just worried lang talaga that they might be a little too strict already for her age and all I want for Bela rigth now is to have fun and learn to love ballet more.I don’t know if I am just OA. I just got really pissed because I feel that they should at least be appreciative or a little affectionate to their students, because they are still kids and they don’t need to make “sutsot” because they can address Bela by her name. Ganon ba talaga sa ballet, mahigpit talaga or I am just being so over protective of may daughter (in short OA ang reaction ko). LOL

Hi Abie, I took ballet when I was about 5/6 years old but I honestly can't remember if the teachers were strict or not. All I can remember is that I asked my mom to pull me out of the class because it was interfering with my afternoon naps! Hahaha! (sorry di ako nakatulong dito)

On a serious note.. I know that dance requires discipline. I remember having a couple of jazz instructors who reminded me of Douglas Quijano (reminded lang kasi I'm pretty sure mas "mabait" sila. hehe). But. These guys were teaching adults na ha, not 3 year old kids.

On your overreacting, I think I would be a little irked too if it was my kid in there. It's just natural for us moms to feel that way.

Ako din kse I find sutsot bastos talaga kaya I reacted talaga when I heard the teacher doing that to Bela. Pero once or twice ko lang naman narinig na sinutsutan si Bela. Cguro dahil bago sya sa class and di pa gaano alam name nya kaya instead of calling her name, sutsot na lang. Mga 3-4 yrs old ang classmates nya and I think she is one of the youngest and the newest student sa class kaya I am expecting that they will not be that hard on Bela kse bago lang sya.

Its normal to be strict especially for such kind of "art" like ballet. Pero the sutsut is different. Dapat din i-consider na she is just 3 years old and shy might not understand it. They accepted bela knowing her age so they should be ready how to adjust to the kid. Eh di sana nag-age cut off sila na mga 7years old na ang tatanggapin nila para marunong na talagang umintindi. What you feel is normal. Kung ako yun, kakausapin ko ang teacher or di ko na enroll dyan. You could look for other schools.

im okay woth them being strict and all but the sutsut part im not. even if my daughter is the most likot, pasaway or wahtever, i dont think they should make sutsut noh. i mean, they accept kids their age and they should know how to handle them.

Don't know but it's kinda funny I stumbled on your site. I was serching the web for a better ballet school than our present one and saw this post of yours. can't help but leave a comment too.

My daughter (who happens to be a Bela too!) studies in Halili for the past 3 years, and sad to say, we had to stay this long for us to realize the school is not worth it. Yes, some teachers can be very snooty, especially to kids (like my daughter)who are already in the classical level. But there is more to it than just that.

We are thinking of not enrolling anymore this sem because of many reasons; you may opt to reach me at 0916-4193223 so I can tell you why and perhaps swap stories with each other. We dropped by Ballet Manila a couple of weeks ago, and though it is very far from where we stay (U.P. Vill.), we just might make a few sacrifices in family schedules to get there during weekends.

Btw, are you still enrolled in Halili? I noticed the post is dated March pa kase. Do please get in touch if you wish; you may be "saved" from future troubles there, who knows... ^_^